RESOLVEis working hard to help the general public understand the disease of infertility, which is commonly discounted as a life style issue instead of a true disease.

Through RESOLVE’s efforts they will ensure the public:

• understands that infertility is a disease that affects 1 in 8 couples of reproductive age;
• acknowledges that there are many ways to build a family;
• understands that the disease of infertility impacts the physical, emotional, and financial health of those who are facing it;
• and those diagnosed know when to seek the advice of a specialist.

If you have been diagnosed with infertility the best action you can take this week is to tell someone you know about your struggles. While it may be scary, it will be a relief to let them know. The challenge, however, will be their response. Some people will be able to support you and others will not. This is okay and allows you to depend on those who are willing to be there for you during your journey.

If you have survived your infertility journey, share your successes!

Visit RESOLVE for more information about events during NIAW. Share the resources with RESOLVE with others so that they can have a better understanding of what infertility is and how to help someone who has been diagnosed with the disease or who is struggling to build their family.

The Walk is about 1.8 miles and the weather should be perfect. Join us for a great time to celebrate families and support RESOLVE. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the Walk starts at 9:00 a.m. We have a few donations, including jewelry, spa gift certificate and a few other items, that you can win. For more information about the Walk visit the RESOLVE website.

Thanks to the following for donating items to our event:

The Center for True Harmony & Wellness for a spa gift certificate and herbal tea.
Metal Stamped Memories for a beautiful “believe” necklace.
T.K.I. Designs for a beautiful “waiting” necklace.
Jillian Burden for a beautiful “Have Faith” necklace.
BugABoo Jewelry for a key chain, Pea Pod necklace and a Glass tile necklace.
Hope of My Heart Designs for a necklace that says, “For this child, I prayed.”
Starz Jewelry for a beautiful “hope” necklace with beads.

If you or someone you know is looking into fertility treatments, namely IVF, visit RESOLVE’s Center for Infertility Justice to find out how you can help move this legislation forward. A tax credit for IVF would be an amazing financial benefit for those of us who use medical treatments to build our families.

I have read the warning about TSS that comes in each packet of tampons. But I have not really taken warnings seriously. Based on the information on You Are Loved, I am going to make some changes to my monthly routine. And my changes will impact my daughters once they start to experience the joys of womanhood.

A Child After 40 was launched in May 2011 and provides an online support community featuring a new Summer Series of free educational Q&A Forums for midlife women. A Child After 40/FlowerPowerMom.com has been featured widely in the media since launching in 2009, including several interviews on CNN, and a multitude of radio programs and newspapers across the USA.

To learn more about the benefits of the bill visit RESOLVE.

In order to participate in the calls on Monday, you must first send a letter to your representatives. Use the link above to do so.

Looking for ideas on how to participate in NIAW if there are no live events in your area? Visit the NIAW Challenge page for easy ideas on how to help spread the message about infertility awareness.

For general information about NIAW visit RESOLVE’s NIAW webpage.

The book Blowing Out the Candle is about one couples struggle to have a child not knowing the husband had a genetic disorder that was the root cause of their problems. They spent 8 years trying to conceive and sought out medical assistance in their journey.

To learn more about Blowing Out the Candle or to buy the book visit Amazon.

Another book from a male perspective is: What He Can Expect When She’s Not Expecting: How to Support Your Wife, Save Your Marriage, and Conquer Infertility! by Marc Sedaka. This book was featured on the Today Show. This book seems to be full of humor, but also provides great tips for the husband to help his wife through their infertility struggle.

To learn more about this book or to buy it visit Amazon.

When You’re Not Expecting: An Infertility Survival Guide by Connie Shapiro, MSW, Ph.D.
According to Dr. Shapiro, the features of this book that make it unique and compelling are:

• The focus of the book is on the emotional impact of infertility. This book speaks to the universal issues of loss and coping that stretch across decades.
• In addition to having a focus on the emotional needs of married women and their partners, her book is the first to address the unique issues of lesbians and single women who are trying to conceive.
• The chapters of the book follow the sequence of the infertility experience (which may include pregnancy losses) from diagnosis to parenthood choices, enabling the reader to concentrate on coping with current challenges as well as anticipating future issues.
• The book provides personal testimonies of over 200 women who have survived infertility with creativity, stamina, determination and humor. Readers will resonate with the issues in each chapter and will discover a wealth of coping strategies from which to choose.
• At the end of every chapter, there are therapeutic tips for readers to consider. This is the first book to combine the voices of infertile women with that of their therapist to create a sisterhood of credibility and compassion.
• Ultimately women with infertility who read this book will feel empowered because they will feel less alone, more aware of the complexity of emotions during their infertility journey, more able to ask for emotional support, more prepared to be assertive with health care providers, and more aware of options to explore in their quest for parenthood.

Dr. Shapiro has written When You re Not Expecting to reach not only women coping with infertility and pregnancy loss, but also the people in their lives who love them and want to provide support, but who don’t understand the emotional impact of infertility: partners, parents, in-laws, siblings, friends, counselors, clergy and health care professionals.

Dr. Shapiro also writes a blog for people with infertility and their loved ones at Connie Shapiro. This blog is also posted on the Psychology Today website: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/when-youre-not-expecting where it is frequently selected as an Essential Read.

To buy a copy of this book visit Amazon, Wiley & Sons, Barnes and Noble or Borders.

On the show we discussed the unfriendly legislation that was proposed in 2010 and what awaits the fertility community in 2011. There are a lot of groups who do not believe fertility treatments are a good thing AND they are going to work hard in 2011 to draft legislation that will prevent or make it hard for you to build your family.

In Arizona we have heard a bill is being drafted that will make surrogacy a thing of the past as a family building option. Couples who want to use surrogacy will have to do so in another state. We have heard rumors about a few other anti-fertility bills but we are waiting for final bill language. What is happening in your state?

Her show focuses on all types of issues related to infertility and family building. Shows in December were about nutrition; mental health for surrogates, egg donors and intended parents; reasons to laugh at infertility; international IVF and third-party reproduction; and more. Listen to past shows at Surrogacy Law Radio.

This video series was launched because embryo donation can be a challenge for some to understand. RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association launched a first-of-its-kind video series, in which RESOLVE’s executive director Barbara Collura answers people’s questions about embryo donation, an emerging family building option. The “So what exactly is embryo donation?” video series includes 11 short, one- to two-minute videos answering questions submitted by MyDestinationFamily.org visitors. For additional videos visit the archive at RESOLVE. Check out the videos and test your knowledge about embryo donation.

If you’re unable to join RESOLVE on Friday, visit RESOLVE’s MyDestinationFamily.org for a full re-cap of the interview.

Date and Time: November 6, 2010 from 8am-12noon. Registration at 7:30 a.m.
Location: 1111 E. McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85006 (located at McDowell and12th Streets)

How YOU can participate:

The Adoption Seminar is an event dedicated to couples who desire to build their families through adoption. You will learn the differences in the application process between domestic and international adoption. You’ll hear how to choose an adoption agency, the laws regarding adoption, the rights of the adopting parents as well as the birthparents. Discover the countries currently allowing adoptions, their unique challenges, and the different requirements of each country. Other topics include: Adoptive Parent Panel, Adoption Home Study, Financing Adoption, and How to Get Picked.

Register to attend the event by November 4th. Visit: www.southwest.resolve.org. Walk-in registration accepted, but registering online will help prevent cancellation of the event for low attendance.

Basically, the video talks about how filming embryos as they grow the first few day may help doctors select the best embryos to use in an IVF cycle. The video is not clear about how common this technique is in practice, but it could be something doctors will start using in the near future. This is an example of progress toward perfecting IVF and reducing the occurrence of multiple births.

Take a few minutes to learn about filming embryos and ask your doctor if they use this technique: Filming Embryos Improves Chances of Pregnancy.

Here are comments from a Drugwatch.com representative, We are currently raising awareness about the prescription drug Accutane, a drug used to treat acne. There is a current Black Box warning on Accutane, cautions consumers about its potential to harm unborn children that include birth defects, premature births and even death in babies when a mother has taken the drug. Additional serious side effects associated with Accutane use include depression, colitis, and liver disease. The drug is causing a significant amount of damage and serious harm to patients.

If you or anyone you know is taking Accutane and desires to have a baby, you need to learn more about the risks of this drug. The Drugwatch.com website is full of interesting information on all types of medications. It might be helpful to do a search on the medications you currently take to see how those medications might impacts your ability to get pregnant, stay pregnant or have a healthy baby.

For more information specifically on Accutane visit the: Accutane Lawsuit: page to find out how the acne drug Accutane causes the spine condition skeletal hyperostosis and other serious side effects like birth defects, ulcerative colitis, and depression.

It is up to us, those who are currently suffering and those who have overcome* infertility, to speak out and share our story. I do so on Facebook all of the time. I frequently tell people my twins are a result of an IVF treatment, when appropriate. I am not ashamed of my infertility journey. My children are beautiful and mean more to me than life itself.

It’s time. Talk about your infertility so that we can make progress on advocacy, insurance coverage, and perception by the general public.

* not everyone will be successful through fertility treatments, so the term “overcome” encompasses those who had success via treatment, adopt or live childfree not by choice.

Join RESOLVE of Arizona and three local infertility experts to explore your medical and health options for building your family. Topics will include the basic infertility workup, low-tech treatments, IVF and third party reproduction. Guest speakers include Dr. Jay Nemiro, Fertility Studies; Robert Koagedal, AcuHealth; and Dr. Daniel Rychlik, Fertility Centers of Arizona.

To register for this event visit RESOLVE.

Anyway, on to more relevant topics. In Arizona the Legislators passed the two anti-family bills, with amendments. It is my understanding that SB1306, the Egg Donor bill, imposes additional informed consent requirements for the doctors and egg donors but does little else to harm infertility patients. While some donors may choose to leave the donor program when they see the mound of paperwork they have to read and sign, most of them would have done so anyway. The women who really want to help other women have a baby won’t be putout by the additional paperwork.

SB1307, the ugly research bill that would have made IVF basically illegal in the State of Arizona is now an anti-stem cell and anti-animal/human hybrid bill. Seriously, who is creating an animal/human hybrid? The illegal immigrants? Actually, the animal/human hybrid nonsense was a front to pass Personhood legislation. Thankfully we were able to defeat the Personhood movement this year. The legislators have promised it will be back on the agenda for next year.

So, even though RESOLVE is bummed about the passage of both of these bills, they are much less harmful in final form than they were initially proposed.

A few lessons learned:
1. The legislators do not care who they hurt or why. They have their own agenda and they are out to please the group(s) that can help them get re-elected.

2. Negotiating with the legislators is stressful and frustrating. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. In our case, negotiations were the death of our opposition. However, another non-profit was able to successfully negotiate portions out of a bill to their benefit.

3. Your vote really matters. Who you vote for will determine which silly laws get passed. There are a few folks in my district who will not be getting my votes, ever!

To learn how you can spread the word visit RESOLVE.

To find an event in your area or teleconference that will help you with your own infertility journey (or someone you love’s journey) visit RESOLVE’s NIAW events page for more info.

RESOLVE has had a website overhaul. To get the latest updates on the infertility legislation pending in your state visit their Center for Infertility Justice web pages.

Click here to sign the Protect Family Building Rights in Arizona petition.

This bill is anti-family and will severely limit infertility specialists helping Arizonans struggling to build their families. It singles out life-giving, pro-family medical treatments and subjects them to a new regime of Governmental restriction.

Myth: Egg donors are not provided adequate information about the risks of egg donation, including long-term risks of increased ovarian cancer and other types of cancer.

Truth: Physicians are required to provide informed consent to all patients prior to any procedure. The FDA has requirements for tissue donation (egg donation is considered tissue donation), the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) has guidelines for informed consent. In addition, every physician must adhere to the informed consent guidelines required by malpractice insurance companies.

Amendments were negotiated that would insert the requirements and guidelines of these regulatory bodies into Arizona’s statutes. That language has been rejected.

Myth: This bill maintains the “status quo” for the infertility community in Arizona. It will merely prohibit the use of eggs for “research” and “cloning.”

Truth: This bill prohibits anyone from “purchasing or offering to purchase” a human egg for anything but the “treatment of infertility.” This includes the use of eggs that fail to fertilize to be used to further new treatments for infertility and for training embryologists. What “treatment for infertility” entails is not defined, yet anything outside of that realm carries a criminal penalty and certain loss of license for the physician.
Can physicians freeze and thaw eggs for preservation? A common practice, yet still classified as “investigative” under ASRM guidelines. Can physicians screen for genetic defects? Can new specialists and embryologists be trained? The physicians in the infertility practices believe these practices will no longer be legal. Physicians will no longer be able to treat patients who need egg donation as a means to build their families in Arizona, driving these couples out of state to seek treatment.

Amendments allowing “clinical investigation for the furthering of the treatment of infertility” were negotiated. That language was subsequently rejected. There is no way to know how a judge, not a medical board, will interpret “the treatment of infertility.” Given the threat of criminal penalty and loss of license to practice, physicians will not provide these treatments to their patients.
Doctors will leave Arizona and so will patients. Arizona will lose millions of dollars in revenues in addition to labeling itself anti-family.

SB1307:
The Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Society of Arizona (REISA), an organization of infertility specialists, embryologists and professionals, oppose SB 1307. They are supported in their opposition by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association.

The bill prohibits cloning and human/animal hybrids, which we have no problem with. However, as stated by Dr. Pomeroy, “the bill says you are liable if you ‘intentionally or knowingly’ engage in activity that causes the demise of embryos. Embryologists ‘know’ that some embryos will not survive freezing and thawing and so we would be culpable, even though it was not intentional. No embryologist would work under a condition of potential liability like this.” In doing this, NO medical procedure could be performed on ANY embryo—viable or non-viable, that results in “injury, death or destruction…” of the embryo.

Under the definition of nontheraputic research, the only permissible activities are Treatment of Infertility, In Vitro Fertilization and accompanying transfer. Any other procedure MUST be done solely to “preserve the life or health of the particular embryo.”

This bill carries a Class 6 Felony penalty. The testimony of Nik Nikas, attorney and proponent of the bill, was very clear that “we have no way of knowing how a federal or state judge would interpret the phrase “treatment of infertility.”

The medical community working in this field strongly believes that the definition of nontheraputic research would prohibit:
• Training of new infertility specialists and embryologists.
• Practices that allow embryologists to screen embryos for genetic disease. Some genetic conditions can actually be removed from an embryo prior to transfer.
• Practices such as Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis that select only healthy embryos from genetically challenged couples, avoiding miscarriage and health risks.
• Screening to select only the most viable embryos for transfer allowing doctors to transfer one or two embryos. This reduces the need for multiple embryos that lead to high-order multiples and premature birth.

With a class 6 felony and loss of license to practice, no physician in Arizona would dare take that chance. They would no longer be able to help Arizona couples have families. These unintended consequences will drive businesses out of Arizona, and force couples seeking this treatment to go elsewhere.

If this bill passes, doctors will leave Arizona and so will patients. Arizona will lose millions of dollars in revenues in addition to labeling itself anti-family.

To voice your opposition to these bills visit RESOLVE to send a letter to your Representative.

So, first things first. Senator Gray had the nerve to stand up in front of the Health & Human Services Committee and read a letter from Dr. Moffit about how he stated that the amendments that had been made to the bills “protect” the infertile community. Yet she didn’t read the letter signed by 8 of the Reproductive Endocrinologists that informed her they DO NOT support the amendments and fear the bill will adversely impact their standard of care. I watched Dr. Zoneraich hand her this letter in a meeting just last week – weeks after she had received the letter of “approval” from Dr. Moffit. It saddens me that she took this approach in the committee hearings knowing full well that the infertile community is AGAINST these bills.

To Rep. Nancy Barto – while it is true that we have joined you for a few meetings to discuss our concerns with these bills you have done little to incorporate the suggestions by the doctors to protect infertile patients, especially on SB1307 – which is going to halt the treatment of IVF, as we know it, in the State of Arizona. We do not believe it when you say that you will “continue” to work with us to protect infertile patients because you rejected most of the suggestions provided by the doctors. Your idea of compromise is fixing terminology so that it mirrors what is happening in this medical field. Changing from “provider” to “donor” is not compromising! I do not believe you have any intention of protecting those who have been cursed with the disease of infertility as your only goal is to protect human tissue that cannot become life without a womb.

To the Arizona Republican House and Senate members – please stop telling people who are calling you or sending you emails about these bills that you have “fixed” them and that they have nothing to worry about. If anyone in Arizona is going through an IVF cycle today – they may not have access to their frozen embryos if their fresh cycle fails (or want to add a child to their family) because the docs are going to be too worried about a Class 6 FELONY if one of the embryos dies when thawed. Keeping embryos tied up in a frozen state forever is not the preservation of human dignity! And forget about having any decision about destroying your OWN embryos. You and the doctor will be charged with a Class 6 FELONY for doing so. Say goodbye to your LIVING children for a few months while you serve your sentence in prison for treating your disease with safe and effective medicine.

And how about donating your embryos to another family? Well – who is going to take the responsibility for paying for the testing and transfer fees? You! Because you cannot get reimbursed for those fees because that would be considered “compensation.” And hopefully the lucky couple lives outside of Arizona otherwise an AZ RE might not be willing to thaw the embryos for the couple you so selflessly donated your embryos to.

And SB1306 which protects the egg donor – well buried at the end of the bill is a little clause that prevents any research on EGGS. If research was permitted on eggs than the doctors might just be able to develop technology that negates the need to fertilize all of a woman’s eggs after a fresh retrieval – which creates embryos, many of which they don’t need because they only transfer 1-3 embryos per IVF cycle. Yet, this research would one day fix the so called “ethical” issues some “people” have with SB1307.

If you are an infertile couple in Arizona your treatment options will be:
1. IUIs (artificial insemination) because this procedure doesn’t involve embryos the doctors have little risk of going to prison for using this medical treatment. However, you will be at risk for getting pregnant with high order multiples, remember the family in Lake Havasu with sextuplets? That will be you. Also, keep in mind the success rates of IUIs are much lower than IVF. Get ready for month after month of IUIs…

2. If you are dealing with male factor infertility or infertility issues that make IUI an ineffective treatment option, you might be able to undergo an IVF cycle. But it will look much different tomorrow because of SB1307 than it does today. I’m guessing your RE will retrieve all of your eggs, however, they will not fertilize all of them in order to minimize the possibility of any unused embryos. This prevents them from having to freeze and store your embryos in perpetuity and reduces their risk of going to prison if one of the embryos dies upon thawing. Also, this will reduce your chances of a successful IVF cycle, i.e., a pregnancy, because the RE fertilized only a few of your eggs which means he has less embryos to choose from, which means they might have to transfer lower quality embryos which have little hopes of implanting. The success rates in AZ will decrease dramatically and couples will be left with few options but to continue to pay out of pocket for fresh IVF cycles or travel out of AZ to a more fertility friendly state – a state that can actually effectively treat your infertility with the proper medical protocols.

3. If you have frozen embryos in AZ you will be responsible for paying for annual storage fees FOREVER! You will not be able to destroy them and it is unlikely you will spend $1500-2000 to donate them to another couple, although that would be cheaper than paying the annual storage fees. Forget about a compassionate transfer as that will be illegal too as the intent of a compassionate transfer is not to “protect” the embryo. Destroying your own embryos is not an option or you can face prison time. Really! Forget the fact that the legislators have left you little options since they are preventing any research on eggs that could create technologies that would negate the need to freeze embryos, but I’ve already gone there.
This is the reality of Arizona in just a few short weeks. And it is coming to a state near you. Colorado is adding “personhood” to their 2010 ballot – that measure is trying to do in CO what SB1307 is trying to do in AZ.

Want to stop this? Take action now – call your Representative and send them an email. RESOLVE makes that easy. Click here for their form letter and information about how to contact your Representative.

I don’t know enough about the Health reform just passed to say how it is going to impact infertility patients. However, there are 15 states with some form of insurance coverage, Arizona is not one of them. For more information about infertility insurance coverage visit RESOLVE.

P.S. The opinions expressed in this blog are mine; however I have linked to the RESOLVE website to make it easier to you to take immediate action–they have not approved this blog post and I am not representing RESOLVE in this post or on this blog.

Read the articles here: NewsOK and here: Tulsa World.

Copied from a RESOLVE alert:
RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association needs your urgent and immediate action on a bill introduced in the Kansas state Senate.

Please say NO! It is important that your Senators hear from you. Thank you for taking action today!
Sincerely,
Barbara Collura
Executive Director, RESOLVE

We need your help TODAY! Tell your Senator that you, your friends, and family OPPOSE HB 3077. Please click on the link below to send a letter immediately to your Oklahoma state Senator. Our experience has shown that sending opposition letters can slow down a bill and prevent it from being voted on.

Please let lawmakers know that we will not let them interfere with the care of infertility patients in Oklahoma. Egg donor treatment is the standard of care for infertility patients who have survived cancer or who have premature ovarian failure. Don’t take away their hope for a family!

Visit RESOLVE for the links to contact your OK legislators today!

Visit RESOLVE to get the latest updates on Arizona and send in your letters of opposition on these anti-family bills.

P.S. We know from experience that a flood of opposition can turn the tide – please don’t let these bills pass in Arizona; you have the power to make a real difference! Take Action Today!

“The Arizona legislature is quickly pushing two bills — Senate Bill 1306 and House Bill 2651 – which will impose new and unprecedented restrictions on donor egg treatment for infertility. The Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee will hold a hearing on February 17 with the House hearing any day now.

We need your help TODAY! If you live in Arizona please tell the Committee members that you, your friends, and family OPPOSE SB 1306 and HB 2651. Please click here to send a letter to Members of the House Health and Human Services Committee and click here to send a letter to the Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee. (Note: you must send one letter to the House Committee and a second letter to the Senate Committee.)

SB 1306/ HB 2651 interferes with egg donor treatment by –
– outlawing the compensation traditionally provided to those who donate eggs for infertile couples;
– imposing burdensome and inaccurate informed consent obligations on doctors who offer donor egg treatment;
– threatening doctors with loss of their medical licenses if they fail to follow the new informed consents to the letter.
An additional set of bills, SB 1307 and HB 2652, may impair a physician’s ability to provide the best standard of care in reproductive medicine. These bills are a hasty attempt to regulate university research but could have a negative impact on the clinical care of patients.

Please let lawmakers know that we will not let them interfere with the care of infertility patients in Arizona. Men and women in Arizona who are trying to have a family deserve to be able to have all treatments available to them as is offered in any state in the U.S. Please urge them to vote NO on SB 1306 and HB / 2651 and NO on SB 1307 / HB 2652!

For complete information on these bills and to link to copies of the bills, visit RESOLVE’s website.

Thank you for Taking Action on this important legislation!”
Barbara Collura
Executive Director
RESOLVE

Great news! A bill has been introduced in the Maryland House of Delegates that would change the current infertility insurance mandate to allow more people to access insurance benefits. Currently the waiting period for insurance coverage is two years for a history of infertility before the insurance mandate kicks in. House Bill 30, introduced by Delegate Jeff Waldstreicher, would change the waiting period to ONE YEAR. This would allow a greater number of women and men in Maryland to access much needed medical care for their infertility, and get started building their family sooner. RESOLVE fully supports this Bill and is asking for you to show your support too.

On January 28 the Health and Government Operations Committee will hear testimony on this Bill. We need the Committee to support this Bill so that it moves to the next step in the legislative process. If your Delegate is a member of this Committee, we need you to contact them TODAY and show your support. Visit the RESOLVE website to learn more details and to take action!